Main Page

Welcome

Welcome to the Pearl River Music Archive (PRMA). This is a passion project based in Lafayette, Indiana, aiming to archive the history and document the ongoing activity of DIY music projects across the state. If you're here, please consider contributing some of your knowledge on the scene around you. No accounts, sign-ups, or anything like that necessary.

To get started, enter the name of a band or artist below and click "Create or edit" to add them to the database. You'll be redirected to a form where you can add more information to flesh out that artist's page. If the artist you entered has already been recorded in the database, then you'll be routed to the existing page to make edits, updates, or additions.

Browse the Database

• All Artists
• Artists by city
• Artists by genre

Behind the name

The Pearl River is a piece of local history in Lafayette. It became a sort of artificial tributary to the Wabash river as the downtown area was developed and surrounding streams were redirected. It was covered up a long time ago, but it continues to flow under the streets of Lafayette today.

I thought it made an interesting symbol for the underground music scenes happening all across the state. Like the stories about the Pearl river, DIY music is a piece of local history that can be lost when people stop talking about it. Projects come and go, and things can change quickly, so this is my attempt at an ongoing record that preserves that history.

Contact and Collaboration

For any question about this project or the website, please reach me at [email protected].

If you are highly involved in a scene (like a venue owner, label owner, event planner, producer, or a particularly active show-goer), and you would like to open a channel of communication for new information, please reach out to me. If there is enough traction on that kind of thing I might consider starting a listserv or a Discord channel or something.